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The fate of some 20 JHS graduates of A.Z Preparatory School, a Teshie-based school is in limbo as the West African Examination Council (WAEC) has witheld their results.

Despite a court order to have the results released, WAEC has been defiant.

The affected candidates dragged WEAC to the Human Rights Court in Accra. On July 4, 2018, the court ruled that the results be released but WAEC applied for a stay of execution pending appeal, the stay of execution was dismissed.

The school authorities, in a petition to the media and copied to a number of state institutions including the Presidency, lamented that WAEC is still holding on to the results.

“It has been over a month after that ruling but WAEC has been adamant in releasing the results which is not only putting pressure on parents and guardians of these children but also jeopardising the future of these children,” the petition stated.

Seventeen out of the affected 20 candidates sat for the Private BECE in February 2018. Three of them declined; stating they would rather wait for the court’s verdict.

Copies of the results available confirmed that they have passed the ‘re-sit’ of the English Language paper with grades 1–4.

However, when they attempt logging unto the placement platform, the system tells them they cannot be placed because they obtained grade 9 (fail) in either English or Mathematics.

The school authorities believe this happens because WEAC hasn’t released the true results to the placement agency.

“When we followed up to WEAC one time they told the candidates they have their fingers in WAEC’s mouth. Is that a fair thing to say,” the proprietor of the school said.

When newsmen contacted the sub-regional examination governing body, their legal representatives are seeking a review of that ruling, which is why the results haven’t been released.

“What I know is our lawyers are appealing the case,” PRO of WAEC, Mrs Agnes Cudjoe noted.

However, a stay of execution which WAEC applied for has been dismissed by the court. (A stay of execution grants the losing party in a court case the right to halt compliance with the ruling until the verdict of the review).

The candidates in question are graduates of the A.Z Preparatory School, a Teshie-based school in the national capital, Accra.

According to authorities of the school, they presented 40 candidates for the 2017 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).